[3] Garrison was born in Miami, Florida, and moved when he was 10 to Philadelphia, where he learned to play bass during his senior year of high school.

[4] Garrison came of age in the 1950s Philadelphia jazz scene, which included fellow bassists Reggie Workman and Henry Grimes, pianist McCoy Tyner and trumpeter Lee Morgan.

[5] Between 1957 and 1962, Garrison played and recorded with trumpeter Kenny Dorham; clarinetist Tony Scott; drummer Philly Joe Jones; and saxophonists Bill Barron, Lee Konitz, and Jackie McLean, as well as Curtis Fuller, Benny Golson, Lennie Tristano, and Pharoah Sanders, among others.

Garrison would often play unaccompanied improvised solos, sometimes as song introductions prior to the other musicians joining in, and occasionally used a bow.

With Lorez Alexandria With Bill Barron With Walter Bishop Jr. With Benny Carter With Ornette Coleman With Alice Coltrane With John Coltrane With Ted Curson With Nathan Davis With Bill Dixon With Kenny Dorham With Curtis Fuller With Beaver Harris With Elvin Jones With Philly Joe Jones With Lee Konitz With Rolf Kühn and Joachim Kühn With Cal Massey With Jackie McLean With J. R. Monterose With Robert Pozar With Sonny Rollins With Tony Scott With Archie Shepp With Clifford Thornton With McCoy Tyner